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Angels Open Season Against The Bad Guys, The Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Otani and Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Álvarez.
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Left photo: hj_west from USA/Wikimedia Commons | Right photo: Ken Lund/Flickr
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The Los Angeles Angels are one of 14 MLB teams slated to play on opening day Thursday, facing off against the Houston Astros.
The very same Houston Astros who were implicated just a few years ago in the most nefarious cheating scandal in baseball since the 1919 Chicago “Black Sox” schemed with pro gamblers to rig the outcome of that year’s World Series.
This fact is mentioned because the Astros stood in the path of a slightly earlier Los Angeles Dodgers World Series title. So, Dodgers fans, since your team doesn’t play until tomorrow, maybe give the team to the south a cheer for the evening?
Nope? Alright. Worth a try.
The first pitch is set to cross the plate at 6:38 p.m. as the Angels look to rebound from an abysmal 2021 season, where they finished with a 77-85 record, a full 18 games back from playoff contention.
The heavenly entities from Anaheim haven’t posted a winning record since 2015 and haven’t made a playoff appearance since 2014, when they were swept in the American League Divisional Series by the Kansas City Royals. It was the only time the team has made the playoffs in the last 11 seasons.
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Regardless of how the season shakes out, however, odds are you’ll get your money’s worth for a ticket, as the most electrifying player in baseball and 2021’s American League MVP, Shohei Ohtani, happens to play his home games in Orange County. Oh, and Mike Trout, that other guy who has also won three AL MVPs, he’s quite good too.
Friday, the Dodgers head east and up a few thousand feet, opening their season at Coors Field in Denver as they take on the Colorado Rockies at 1:10 p.m. Next Thursday, they will host their home opener at Dodger Stadium against the Cincinnati Reds.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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